I'm not sure what the difference is between answering a call on a hands free earpiece and (say) talking to a passenger (Mandotim)

OK, I'll tell you. A passenger nearly always shuts up in a potentially dangerous situation, a phone partner just babbles on.

I'm still curious. Is it allowed in your countries to phone while cycling?

As for the cyclists mostly injuring themselves, maybe "mostly" is true in my town in the sense of in more than 50% of all cases, but they endanger, injure and kill pedestrians and other cyclists. I live in a town in which more than 40% of all movements are made by bicycle, next comes walking and only then cars. If I shall be injured in a traffic accident more likely than not it will be by a cyclist, though if I shall be killed in a traffic accident even in my town it will be very likely by a car.

Wolfgang